As soon as a child learns to speak, the questions start. What? Who? How? Why? Children are exploring, discovering, learning all about the world, and that’s why they have so many questions. Experts tell us that an average child asks as many as forty thousand questions between the ages of two and four. It can be exhausting for their parents, who have to try to come up with answers. Gradually, as the child grows up, the questions slow down. But it’s sad if we ever stop asking questions altogether, if that means that we are no longer curious about the world that God has made.

Jesus tells his disciples that God reveals the truth, not to the learned and the clever, but to children. Perhaps he means that God’s truth is revealed to those who, like children, have questions and are ready to learn. Those who were considered learned and clever in Jesus’ time – the chief priests, the scribes and Pharisees – generally didn’t become his disciples. They thought that they knew the answers already, and had nothing to learn from him. Jesus’ disciples, on the other hand, were mostly the poor and the outsiders – working men like Peter, tax collectors like Matthew, people burdened with sin or sickness. Jesus didn’t reject those people – he called them and welcomed them. To those who were ready to listen and learn, Jesus revealed the Good News that he had brought from God his Father. It was a message of love and forgiveness, and with Jesus, they found rest for their souls.

We are living in a strange time, when everything seems to be changing around us. We all have questions about what the world will be like after coronavirus, and no one seems to have the answers. Jesus calls us to come to him, and, like children, to trust him and learn from him. Then we will find rest for our souls.

The University Hospital of North Durham still has restrictions in place regarding visits to patients – see the hospital website for the latest information. However, the Catholic Chaplain is still able to visit patients, and can bring them Holy Communion and the Sacrament of the Sick. If you know of a patient who wishes for a visit from the Catholic Hospital Chaplain, please inform Fr Paul Tully on 01388 818544 or frpaultully@outlook.com 

For visits to patients in St Cuthbert’s Hospice, in care homes or in their own homes, please contact Fr Andrew.

This year’s CAFOD North East Team pilgrimage to Holy Island will take place online from 1st–11th July. From 1st July, there will be a daily reflection and prayer from Fr Jim O’Keefe, as well as shared memories of past pilgrimages, videos and stories from our partners around the world, and up to date news about CAFOD’s latest campaigns. At 3pm on Saturday 11th July, Fr Chris Hughes will live-stream a special pilgrimage Mass for us from his parish. We would also love you to share your memories and photographs of being part of a pilgrimage – from anywhere in the world!  Email us at hexhamandnewcastle@cafod.org.uk  and tell us your story.  The online pilgrimage will be hosted at https://cafodhexhamnewcastle.wordpress.com/

The effect of coronavirus on countries without good health systems will be devastating. CAFOD has launched an emergency appeal to: 

Deliver food to where it is needed most. 

Improve hygiene, handwashing and sanitation at the community and household level.

Produce radio messages, posters and leaflets in local languages on risks and prevention.

Train community volunteers to carry out awareness campaigns.

For more information and to donate, go to www.cafod.org.uk

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Though they are saints, they weren’t perfect. Peter was a hotheaded character; he was impulsive and generous, but sometimes unreliable. There was an irony in Jesus’ renaming Simon as ‘the Rock.’ In today’s Gospel, Peter makes a bold statement of his faith in Jesus: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ But on the night that Jesus was arrested, Peter, afraid for his own life, denied even knowing his friend. He would reproach himself for his betrayal for the rest of his days. But Jesus forgave Peter, and told him, ‘Feed my sheep’ – take care of the disciples.

Peter was an ordinary working man, a fisherman. Paul was more educated; he had been trained as a rabbi, and had studied the Scriptures and philosophy. Paul, too, could be hot-tempered and outspoken. Peter became the leader of the early Church, while Paul was the first great teacher and missionary. But it was a bumpy road. We read in the New Testament of the arguments between Paul and Peter, as the faith spread and the Church grew.

What Peter and Paul had in common was that their encounter with Jesus  changed their lives. Peter was one of the first disciples to be called. The call of Paul happened on the road to Damascus. For each of them, once they had met the Lord, there was no going back. Both apostles gave their lives for the faith; they were martyred in Rome at the time of the Emperor Nero.

To be a Christian is to put our faith in Jesus, as Peter and Paul did; to say with Peter, ‘You are the Christ.’ Once we have made our act of faith, there is no going back for us. We will face challenges and we will sin. But, just as the Lord did great things through the apostles, now he wants us to play our part in building his Church.